Chapter 218 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: The Slayer Knights
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"Go easy on him?"
Austin wore a baffled expression.
He wasn't the only one; the other trainees were just as confused.
The trainee Austin was facing, Geris, was exceptionally skilled.
An opponent Austin had never once beaten in their spars.
And he was being told to go easy on such an opponent.
'Where does Young Master Leo get all this confidence?'
Chuckling inwardly, Austin felt his tension ease.
'That's right. I survived Young Master Leo's hellish training for the past month.'
After experiencing Leo's training, he felt as if he could overcome any ordeal.
Taking a deep breath, Austin tightened his grip on his wooden sword.
A wooden bastard sword that suited his large frame.
Watching him, Geris snickered and pointed his sword.
'Arrogant bastard.'
While Austin wielded a destructive swordsmanship with his bastard sword, Geris, despite his build, used a rapier with a refined and swift style.
Austin had always been overwhelmed and defeated by Geris's speed, which he could never match.
As the two stood in the center of the training grounds, facing each other, Geris began to bounce lightly on his feet, finding his rhythm.
"I'll show you your place, Austin."
With those words, Geris rushed toward Austin at incredible speed.
*Whoosh-*
Austin swung his sword at the rapidly approaching Geris.
*Fwoom-!*
"Hmph! Still just as brutish as ever!"
*Swish-!*
Geris sidestepped Austin's sword and closed in from the left.
A speed so fast it was dizzying.
But Austin's sword pursued Geris with precision.
Geris, who had intended to evade and counterattack, hurriedly swung his sword to defend.
*Crack-!*
A heavy sound, almost unbelievable for a clash of wooden swords, echoed through the air.
Geris's face contorted from the pain shooting through his wrist.
Austin's strength was truly monstrous.
"Looks like you've improved a little. In that case…"
Geris activated his aura.
*Fshhh-!*
Seeing Geris pick up even more speed, Austin looked bewildered.
He wasn't flustered by the speed itself, but astonished that he was now able to react to it—a feat that had been impossible just a month ago.
*Whoosh-!*
When Austin dodged his thrust, Geris's expression turned to one of surprise.
"What?"
He then urgently launched a fierce assault.
*Swish! Pabababat!*
A flurry of flashy thrusts and slashes filled the air.
The other trainees, thinking Geris was overwhelming Austin, whistled and cheered.
But the expressions of the top-ranking trainees changed drastically.
'Geris's attacks aren't getting through?'
Geris's swordsmanship was a style that overpowered opponents with speed.
If that speed was ineffective, it meant he couldn't defeat his opponent.
Of course, Austin had no opening to counterattack either, so the spar reached a stalemate.
However, the fact that Austin, a mid-tier trainee, was fighting on even ground with the top-tier Geris was shocking in itself.
'He always had a good enough body and control over his aura. What he lacked was technique.'
Watching the spar, Leo smirked.
All of Leo's knights were from lower noble or commoner families.
As such, they inevitably had shortcomings compared to other trainees who had systematically trained in swordsmanship from a young age to become knights.
Even so, their talent was exceptional enough to place them in the middle ranks.
Leo had identified the most crucial areas for improvement in their swordsmanship and focused their training on those aspects.
The results were showing now.
'Kids grow up so fast.'
As he mused to himself with words that would have made others scoff.
"Grr! This bastard!"
Geris's eyes flashed.
'What a complete humiliation!'
He had been aiming for a spot in Leo's knight order.
But to be struggling against Austin, whom he considered clearly a tier below him?
For Geris, who had thought this was his chance to show off his skills to Leo, the situation was infuriating.
'An opening!'
As Geris's composure crumbled, an opening for Austin appeared.
*Fwoosh-!*
"Huh?"
Startled, Geris retreated.
The tide of the spar shifted in an instant.
Austin, now accustomed to the speed, began to pressure Geris instead.
Sparks flew from Geris's eyes.
"You son of a bitch!"
*Gwoooooo-!*
A powerful aura gathered on Geris's sword.
Seeing this, Austin focused his mind even more.
*Vwoom-!*
Austin's bastard sword also began to glow.
Watching Austin, Geris executed a swift thrust.
In terms of aura power, Geris clearly had the upper hand over Austin.
"Hup!"
Austin let out a kiai and swung his sword.
At that moment, a magic formula materialized above Austin's sword.
"What?!"
Geris cried out in shock.
*Kwagak-!*
"Keuk?!"
Austin's sword, its power amplified by his aura and reinforcement magic, shattered Geris's sword.
*Fwoom-!*
Austin's sword stopped just short of Geris's neck.
Geris's eyes widened, his face twisting in disbelief.
"That's cheating! You! Where do you get off using a magical artifact!"
In response to Geris's shout, Austin withdrew his wooden sword and said.
"I cast the magic myself."
"Lies! You became a magic swordsman in just one month?"
"Yes."
"That's ridiculous!"
Geris protested vehemently.
They had been trainees together for years.
He had never heard that Austin had any aptitude for magic.
As the other trainees also wore expressions of disbelief, Leo chuckled and spoke.
"That was indeed Austin's magic."
"Pardon?"
"He had a talent for it, so I taught him magic over the past month."
"Th-that's impossible…! No! Even if it's true, it's cheating! This was a swordsmanship spar! And we are knight trainees of the Jerdinger family! Magic is unacceptable!"
"What does being a Jerdinger trainee have to do with using magic?"
"For someone aiming to become a proud Jerdinger knight to dabble in magic!"
"Does that mean you find me unacceptable too?"
"...!"
Leo's indifferent question made Geris's face turn pale.
Agitated by his defeat to Austin, he had blurted out nonsense and made a grave mistake.
Leo used magic as well.
"I-I mean! I misspoke...!"
"Enough. Continue with the next spar."
Leo spoke without even glancing at Geris.
After that, Julan, Karin, and Valerie took their turns sparring.
And in every one of those spars, Leo's knights emerged victorious.
Julan and Karin flawlessly demonstrated their abilities as spirit knights.
Valerie actively utilized the aura trait awakened by Leo to claim her victory.
"Alright! A complete victory!"
"Maybe it's because we suffered under Young Master Leo for a month. Their movements are so easy to read!"
Julan and Karin high-fived, making a fuss as if they couldn't believe their own growth.
"Valerie! You too, right?"
Karin asked in an excited voice, and Valerie nodded.
"Yeah. At least it hurt a lot less than being hit by Young Master Leo."
"..."
"..."
Julan and Karin looked at Valerie with pity.
Meanwhile, Martina stepped onto the training grounds.
Across from her stood Endian.
Martina tightened her grip on her wooden sword.
'Everyone else won. I can't be the only one to lose.'
Endian was currently one of the top five trainees in their age group.
Endian, watching Martina, also readjusted his grip on his wooden sword.
'Seeing the others, Martina must have gained a new ability too.'
He didn't know what kind of magic Leo had worked, but Leo's knights had acquired top-tier skills among the trainees, either through dual-classing or awakening an aura trait.
'I can't let my guard down.'
Gripping his sword with both hands, Endian lowered his stance and took a deep breath.
Martina assumed the same stance.
*Whoosh-!*
Then, without a signal, they charged at each other simultaneously.
To probe Martina's abilities, Endian employed a defensive swordsmanship.
*Fwoom-! Baam-!*
Endian narrowed his eyes at the heavy, aura-infused blade.
Having activated their auras from the start, the two moved swiftly.
But as time passed, a look of confusion crept into Endian's eyes.
As far as Endian could tell, Martina hadn't changed much.
Her skills had improved, that much was clear.
But she wasn't using magic like Austin, nor had she contracted a spirit like Karin and Julan.
Furthermore, she hadn't awakened a special aura trait like Valerie.
She just swung her sword with the same straightforward honesty as always.
"It seems you haven't manifested any special abilities like the others."
Endian's lips curled into a smirk.
"Then this should be easy."
His probing finished, Endian instantly switched to the offensive.
*Fwoosh!*
Blue flames erupted from Endian's sword.
Endian's family, the Terius family, had been vassals to the Jerdinger family for generations.
As such, they had been granted an aura cultivation method from the Jerdingers long ago.
Martina gripped her sword tightly.
The aura cultivation method the trainees were learning was also ultimately related to flames.
However, one had to master the method to be able to produce flames.
It was also the process by which a trainee graduated and was recognized as an apprentice knight.
Red flames were the symbol of a Jerdinger knight.
Upon becoming an apprentice knight, they would be granted a new aura cultivation method.
In that sense, Endian, who had learned the aura method from his family, was on a different starting line from the other trainees.
They were blue flames, but flames nonetheless.
Normally, she would have been intimidated by the flaming aura.
But Martina was not afraid to face Endian's flames.
She had seen a boy, who couldn't even use aura, defeat a monster like a hero from a story.
And that boy had truly lived up to that heroic image.
'Young Master Leo said it himself. That we could enroll in Lumerne.'
What is a knight?
Are they not one who follows their lord's word?
'I will remain Young Master Leo's knight.'
*Gwoooo-!*
'To become a knight worthy of Young Master Leo, I will enroll in Lumerne!'
Driven by that single desire, she had worked the hardest during Leo's month of training.
And that effort bore fruit.
*Fwoosh-!*
The red flames signifying a trainee's graduation materialized on Martina's sword.
"No way…!"
Endian wore a look of utter shock.
Martina was also startled to see her own flames, but she quickly composed herself and swung her sword.
*Kwaak-!*
Endian's sword broke and flew into the air.
*Chk-!*
Martina's flame-wreathed wooden sword stopped just under Endian's chin.
"I win, Endian."
"Kuh!"
Endian grit his teeth.
Then, he bowed his head and said.
"...I lost."
At those words, Martina withdrew her sword.
"Martina!"
Karin ran to Martina with a bright smile and hugged her.
All the trainees wore expressions of disbelief.
To think that five mid-tier trainees had defeated top-tier students in just one month!
"That settles it."
Leo smirked.
"You've proven yourselves with your skills. If I hear any more complaints about my knight order, I won't stand by idly."
In truth, any issues concerning his knight order could have been easily handled with Leo's authority.
The reason he had watched this unfold was simple.
He had given them a chance to solve it themselves.
And they had splendidly proven themselves worthy of being Leo's knights.
"Now, go about your business."
At Leo's words, the trainees dispersed.
Various currents flowed among the trainees.
Some grit their teeth and went to train, while others still couldn't accept the situation.
But no one dared to speak out openly anymore.
They had no choice but to acknowledge the skills of Leo's knights, including Martina, who had now earned the qualifications of an apprentice knight.
"This is all thanks to you, Young Master Leo!"
Austin bowed his head.
"That's right! We were able to get stronger thanks to you, Young Master Leo!"
Karin added with a wide smile.
The past month had been hell, but the reward for those difficult days was certain.
Watching his happy knights, Leo said.
"I only gave you a push."
It was the knights who had endured the hellish training that would have made anyone else give up.
"You're the ones who became strong. So don't thank me; be proud of yourselves."
Leo's words moved the knights.
"Alright, now that no one will dare question the fact that you're my knights, shall we decide on a name for the order?"
The moment the knight order was named, they would truly become Leo's knights.
As everyone wore tense expressions, Leo spoke.
"Slayer."
At Leo's words, the knights looked puzzled.
"Slayer?"
Martina looked taken aback.
It meant 'massacrer.'
It was an unfitting name for a knight order.
Looking at Martina, Leo said.
"From now on, I will be fighting against Tartaros."
Leo's gaze fell upon his knights.
"If you follow me, you will naturally find yourselves fighting them continuously."
"I see. From now on, we are Young Master Leo's sword. If that is the path you walk, then the name Slayer is fitting."
Martina smiled faintly.
Then, she knelt.
The others followed suit, bending their knees.
"I, Martina, along with these four, pledge to become your sword and your shield, to be the knights who open the path you walk."
Having recited the knight's oath on behalf of them all, Martina raised her head.
"Please allow us to serve you as our lord for all our lives."
"I permit it."
Looking at the knights who would be his right hand for life, Leo smiled.
The oath finished, the Slayer Knights rose to their feet.
Watching them, now looking somehow more gallant, Leo spoke.
"Ah, and since you've passed phase one of the training, shall we move on to phase two?"
*Crrrack-*
At those words, the entire knight order froze solid.
"Ph-phase two? There's a phase two?"
Karin asked in a trembling voice, and Leo crossed his arms.
"Of course. Your goal is to get into Lumerne, isn't it? You still have a long way to go."
Watching his knights turn pale, Leo muttered.
"You've been to the mountains, so next up is…"
After mountains usually came the sea.
"A sea of fire?"
The training location, which far surpassed their expectations, made the knights feel their minds go blank.
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